Mob & Demob Timeline & SRP

Pull your medical record, dental status, vision, immunizations, PHA date. Anything that would flag you non-deployable at SRP — fix it now on your civilian schedule. Once orders drop, the timeline gets tight and unit-level fixes are slower and more public.

You must be Dental Class 1 or 2 (no exam needed within 12 months, or routine work only) to deploy. Class 3 (treatment needed within 12 months) and Class 4 (no recent exam) are non-deployable. Civilian dental is faster and more flexible than waiting for Guard/Reserve dental to be funded around mobilization. The same applies to vision corrections, sleep studies, and any "I have been meaning to see somebody about that" issue.

Pull up your SGLI beneficiary designations on milConnect and see if they reflect your current family. If your will is older than your last major life event (marriage, divorce, kid, house), it is stale. Do the homework now; the actual JAG appointment happens after orders, but knowing what you want will save you an hour at the SRP legal station.

USERRA § 4312 requires advance written or verbal notice of service to your employer "unless military necessity prevents." A formal written notice on a unit warning order tends to invite preemptive HR conversations you cannot un-ring. Wait for orders. An informal "the unit is talking about possibly mobilizing later this year" conversation is fine if you trust your boss; written notice should follow real orders.

Spouse, kids, parents, the people whose lives will change. The hardest conversation is the one that surprises them. Tell them what you know and what you do not know. Build the Family Care Plan list — who picks up the kids, who has the medical POA, who knows the bank account passwords — before paperwork is due.

Mobilization orders specify the authority (e.g., 10 USC § 12302 Partial Mobilization, § 12304 Presidential Reserve Call-Up, § 12301(d) volunteer to active duty), the report date, the unit, the duration, and the type of duty. The legal protections you receive — SCRA, USERRA reemployment tier, TRICARE Prime eligibility for family — all key off these specifics. Read the orders. If something looks wrong, raise it with S-1 the day you receive them.

Give written notice of military service to your employer as soon as practicable after orders. Include the start date, the expected duration, and a clean statement that you intend to return at the end of service. Keep a dated copy. Email is fine; certified mail is better for hostile employers. This notice is what locks in your reemployment right under 38 USC § 4312 and your protected status under §§ 4311–4313.

Under 50 USC § 3937, interest rates on pre-service debts (credit cards, auto loans, mortgage, student loans) are capped at 6% during active service. The cap is NOT automatic — you must send written notice with a copy of the orders to each lender. Use a template. Send to each creditor. Keep proof of delivery. The 6% cap also retroactively forgives the excess interest.

Every dependent must be in DEERS to be eligible for any TRICARE benefit during your mobilization. Spouse and biological/adopted kids are usually already in; stepchildren, court-appointed wards, and dependent parents are the ones that get missed. Bring marriage certificate, birth certificates, court orders, and ID. Closest RAPIDS site (milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil) → ID Card Office Online.

Orders to active duty for 30+ consecutive days make family members eligible for TRICARE Prime / Prime Remote / Select at active-duty cost-share (effectively zero out-of-pocket for Prime; minimal for Select). Enrollment is not automatic — log into milConnect or call the TRICARE regional contractor to switch from TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) to active-duty TRICARE. Coverage starts on the order start date or the date orders were issued, whichever is later.

Required for single parents, dual-military couples, and any soldier with sole or joint legal/physical custody of family members who cannot care for themselves. The plan identifies short-term and long-term caregivers and confirms they have the legal authority (POA) to act for the dependents. The unit will not allow you to deploy without a current Family Care Plan if you are in a category that requires one.

Most installations and Reserve Centers run pre-mobilization legal-assistance days. Get a current will, a durable general POA (your spouse/parent can pay your bills, file taxes), a special POA for any specific high-value task (sell a vehicle, sign closing papers on a house), and an advance medical directive / healthcare POA. JAG legal assistance is free for service members and dependents under 10 USC § 1044.

If your mobilization includes service in a designated combat zone or qualified hazardous duty area, all military pay earned during any month with at least one day in the CZ is excluded from federal income tax (enlisted/warrant: all pay; officers: up to the highest enlisted base pay + HFP/IDP cap). Maximize TSP and Roth TSP contributions during this period to convert taxable earnings into permanently tax-free growth. The Savings Deposit Program (SDP) pays 10% APR on up to $10,000 deposited while in a designated CZ — funded with after-tax dollars but with very generous interest.

Active-duty members get free dental through the active-duty dental program once on orders. Family members previously on TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) keep that coverage; check premium changes. The new (March 2022+) FEDVIP dental and vision program runs through BENEFEDS for retirees, surviving family, and Guard/Reserve in some statuses — confirm which plan applies during your mobilization window.

A current Periodic Health Assessment (PHA) within the last 12 months is required. New or worsened conditions are documented on DD Form 2807-1 (Report of Medical History — what you tell them) and DD Form 2808 (Report of Medical Examination — what the provider finds). Anything new in the medical history triggers fix-it windows, profile reviews, or referral to a Medical Retention Determination Point (MRDP) review. The window to fix non-deployable findings before report date may be only weeks.

Class 1: no dental treatment needed within 12 months. Class 2: minor treatment, deployable. Class 3: treatment required within 12 months, NON-deployable until fixed. Class 4: no exam in over 12 months, NON-deployable until examined. The pre-mob window funds fixes the Guard/Reserve dental program normally would not cover — root canals, crowns, extractions. Get the work done; do not show up at the mob station Class 3 hoping it sorts itself out.

Two pairs of corrective inserts in the prescription strength for your protective mask are issued at SRP if you wear glasses. Contact lenses are generally not authorized in deployed environments. If you have had refractive surgery (LASIK/PRK), bring documentation of the date, surgeon, and post-op stability — some operational specialties have look-back requirements.

Routine: tetanus/diphtheria, MMR, varicella, influenza (seasonal), Hepatitis A and B. Theater-specific: typhoid, yellow fever (with International Certificate of Vaccination), Japanese encephalitis, smallpox/ACAM2000 in some scenarios, anthrax in some scenarios. Service-specific COVID-19 vaccination policy changed multiple times between 2021–2023; confirm current requirement at SRP. Shots can be spaced — a long catch-up sequence may push your report date.

If you did the JAG work in Phase 1, this station is a 10-minute confirmation. If you did not, this is where it gets done — but the line is long, and "good enough" wills get used. SGLI election is confirmed (default is $500,000; you can elect less or decline). Spousal notification is required for SGLI elections below the maximum or elections that exclude a spouse from being the beneficiary.

Confirm BAH zip code, BAS, family separation allowance (FSA — $250/month for dependents-having members on continuous orders 30+ days away), hostile fire / imminent danger pay (HFP/IDP — up to $225/month in designated areas, prorated), Combat Zone Tax Exclusion zone designation. Update any allotments (rent, child support, savings). Confirm direct-deposit account works; many deployers have lost a paycheck cycle to a bank account that closed while they were forward.

Confirm SRB, ORB, ERB, or service equivalent is current. Reissue dog tags if name/religion/blood type changed (a current military medical record blood type is required — civilian lab results do not count). New Common Access Card (CAC) issued if current expires during deployment. Confirm Record of Emergency Data (DD Form 93) names the right people for casualty notification.

Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program events (10 USC § 10101 et seq., specifically 10 USC § 1801, formerly Pub L 110-181 § 582) are required for Reserve component members and family at the pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment stages. The first event is here. Family Readiness Group (FRG) contact info, family separation allowance briefing, casualty notification procedures. Bring your spouse if logistics permit.

Weapons qualification with the deployed configuration (M4/M17 minimum; M249/M240 for crew-served gunners). CBRN mask fit (which is why those vision inserts had to be right). Combat Lifesaver / TCCC. Theater-specific cultural and counter-IED/UAS modules. Pre-deployment training requirements for Reserve Component personnel are governed by DoDI 1322.31.

Required within 60 days before deployment per DoDI 6490.03. Self-report mental health, sleep, alcohol use, and physical concerns. Honest answers protect later VA claims (the contemporaneous record is the gold standard). Concerns trigger provider review and may delay deployment — but undisclosed conditions that surface in theater become medevacs, and undisclosed conditions that surface after return become disputed VA claims years later.

You may have mobilized with your home unit but get cross-leveled to a different deploying unit that needs your MOS/AFSC. This is normal for individual augmentees and for skill-short units. The cross-leveling reassignment is a personnel action — confirm your gaining unit, your reporting chain, your direct deposit and BAH zip do not need to change, and your award/efficiency report rater chain is documented.

Orders amendments are common at the mob station (extended duration, different theater, modified report date). Each amendment can affect SCRA, USERRA, TRICARE, and pay entitlements. Read every amendment. Keep every version. The mob station legal office can fix Phase 1 paperwork that did not get done — but only if you ask before deployment day.

Advance pay (up to 3 months base pay, repaid over 12 months) is available if needed for family transition costs. Family Separation Allowance (FSA) begins at 30 days continuous separation from dependents. Hostile Fire / Imminent Danger Pay (HFP/IDP) begins the day you enter the designated area.

After 30 days in a designated CZ, you can deposit up to $10,000 into SDP at a guaranteed 10% APR (paid quarterly). Interest accrues until 90 days after you leave the CZ. Funded only with allotment or direct deposit from in-country pay. This is the highest guaranteed return any service member ever sees on a savings vehicle — fund it.

Every day on active duty is one retirement point (up to 365/366 per anniversary year). Cross-leveled Reservists sometimes have points credited to the wrong UIC; periodically check your point statement (HRC Self-Service for Army, vMPF for AF, NSIPS for Navy/USMC). Errors are easier to fix while still on active duty than two years later.

If you get hurt, file a Line of Duty (LOD) before you redeploy. If you have a burn pit, blast, or other exposure event, document it in your medical record at the time. The PACT Act of 2022 (38 USC § 1119 and §§ 1166-1169) gives presumptive service connection for many burn pit and other toxic exposures — but VA still needs contemporaneous proof of exposure. See the Honest MOS LOD & INCAP Pay tool for the deployment-injury playbook.

TPE turn-in. Weapons turn-in. Sensitive item accountability. Disputed losses now will follow you home as Reports of Survey or Financial Liability Investigations of Property Loss (FLIPL). Resolve disputes before you leave theater if possible.

USDA agricultural inspection of all baggage and unit equipment. Customs declarations. The bring-home knife, the sand-filled boots, the souvenir all need to be declared. Smuggled items become court-martial offenses and discovery often happens months later, in the demob station mailroom.

If you are injured and treatment will continue past your scheduled redeployment, MEDCON (Medical Continuation) orders can keep you on active duty for treatment instead of dropping you back to Reserve status and INCAP Pay. Request the MEDCON evaluation BEFORE re-deploying — it is much easier to keep someone on active duty than to recall them from Reserve status.

Administered within 30 days of return per DoDI 6490.03. Honest answers. Sleep problems, mood changes, alcohol use changes, exposure events, concussions, joint and back pain. Findings trigger a referral to behavioral health or a primary care provider before you are released from active duty. The contemporaneous PDHA is one of the most heavily weighted documents in any later VA service-connection claim.

Co-located with the PDHA. The temptation is to minimize because answering "yes" to anything appears to extend the demob clock. Resist that. Disclosed issues get medical entitlement and a documented baseline. Undisclosed issues become VA appeal battles in 2034. The PDHA cannot be used against you for security clearance purposes (Mental Health Question 21 of the SF-86 has been carved back specifically to encourage honesty about combat-related care).

Sleep disorder screen (insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are heavily under-documented in returning Reservists). Hearing screen — every deployment includes some weapons or generator/aircraft noise; document any new tinnitus or hearing loss. Dental and vision exam — if anything needs fixing, this is the last fully-funded opportunity before you return to Tricare Reserve Select or civilian insurance.

Personnel record reconciliation (awards, NCOERs/OERs/EPRs, deployment credits). Legal station revisit if anything in your family circumstances changed. Finance final review (CZTE confirmation, FSA stop date, HFP/IDP stop date, leave balance). ID card refresh if expired. Records are easier to fix while still on active duty.

Travel pay (mileage from demob station home; per diem for travel days; receipts for lodging if any). Final LES will show through the release-from-active-duty date. Cross-check leave balance — unused leave was paid at end-of-tour for years, but the "sell-back" rules have changed multiple times; confirm your specific entitlement at finance.

Reserve and Guard members on active duty 90+ days get a DD Form 214 for the mobilization period (in addition to the original enlistment/commission DD-214, if any). This DD-214 is the VA-and-employer document of record for the deployment. Check every block before you sign — character of service, narrative reason, separation code, reentry code, awards, foreign service, hostile-fire areas. Errors are best fixed before you walk out of demob; otherwise, the correction goes through your service's Board for Correction of Military Records (3-year window).

Under 10 USC § 1145, members called or ordered to active duty for 30+ consecutive days in support of a contingency operation get the Transitional Assistance Management Program: 180 days of TRICARE coverage at active-duty cost-share for the member and family after release from active duty. Coverage is automatic in DEERS — but enrollment in a TRICARE plan (Prime or Select) is NOT automatic. You must enroll within the TAMP window or you default to Direct Care Only.

TAMP ends at exactly 180 days. The day after, you need TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) re-enrolled if you want military coverage, or a civilian/employer plan if you do not. TRS has a 60-day re-enrollment window after a qualifying life event (the end of TAMP qualifies). Missing the TRS re-enrollment window forces you to wait until the next open season or another qualifying life event. Healthcare gap is a real risk; mark D+180 on a calendar.

Under 38 USC § 4312, your right to reemployment is conditioned on giving your employer notice of your return within a window that depends on length of service: 1–30 days of service → report to work by the next regular workday following safe transportation home + 8-hour rest period. 31–180 days → apply within 14 days of release. 181+ days → apply within 90 days of release. Missing the window does NOT automatically void your reemployment right but can create grounds for the employer to argue you abandoned the position.

Your right is reemployment at the position you would have attained had you not served — pay, benefits, seniority, status. NOT the position you left. If your peers got promoted/raised while you were gone, you get the same promotion/raise. Health insurance, pension accrual, and seniority for retirement vesting all count military service as continuous service. Five-year cumulative cap on protected service per employer, with broad statutory exceptions for involuntary mobilizations.

Most Reserve and Guard mobilizations include some form of paid post-deployment leave (often called PDM-RA, Post-Deployment / Mobilization Respite Absence; previous programs included PDMRA. Specific entitlement varies by year and policy update). Confirm your leave balance and PDM-RA accrual at demob finance. Take the leave. Reintegrating with family in week 2 instead of week 0 is a measurable predictor of every reintegration outcome.

The Post-Deployment Health Re-Assessment (DD Form 2900) is administered 90 to 180 days after return per DoDI 6490.03. This is the assessment that catches issues that did not show up in the first 30 days — delayed-onset PTSD, sleep disorders, depression, relationship stress, substance use. Required for all returning service members. Take it as seriously as you took the PDHA. Honest answers protect later VA claims and connect you to behavioral-health resources while they are free.

Combat veterans of OEF/OIF/OND/Inherent Resolve and other designated contingencies are eligible for VA healthcare for the first 5 years after discharge or release from active duty WITHOUT regard to means-testing or service-connection requirement under 38 USC § 1710(e)(3)(C). Enrolling during this window also automatically catalogs your deployment for later service-connection claims. Enrollment is via VA Form 10-10EZ at va.gov, by phone, or in person at any VA medical center. Even if you do not need care now, enroll now — the data trail it creates is invaluable later.

The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program runs post-deployment events at 30, 60, and 90 days after demob in many regions. These events are paid (you and a designated guest), include behavioral health resources, financial counseling, employment resources, and family-relationship support. Underused. Bring your spouse or designated guest.

DoDI 6490.16 (Defense Suicide Prevention Program) requires periodic check-ins post-deployment. The Veterans Crisis Line is 988, then press 1, available 24/7. The Vet Centers (vetcenter.va.gov) offer free, confidential combat-veteran counseling outside the formal VA system — they do not show up in any record visible to your unit, your employer, or your security-clearance investigator.